We prepare sauerkraut at home. Instant sauerkraut: recipes. Spicy cabbage with honey

Sauerkraut turns out tasty and crispy if it ferments in its own juice without brine in water. You can choose a juicy head of cabbage if you pay attention to its appearance. Fleshy, tightly pressed leaves and a dry stalk without signs of rot or spoilage indicate the good taste of cabbage. You can easily get the required amount of juice from it.

First cut the cabbage, cleared of damaged and contaminated upper leaves, into several slices, and then chop each of them into strips about 5 mm wide. In this case, it is better to separate the stalk and throw it away, since substances harmful to health can accumulate in it.


Sauerkraut can be prepared without carrots, but with it the preparation will turn out more beautiful and appetizing. Carrots should be washed with a brush under running water, peeled and grated on a coarse grater.
For piquancy, add a few cloves of garlic to the sauerkraut. It needs to be peeled and grated on a fine grater or crushed in a mortar with a small amount of salt.


On a clean table or in a comfortable enamel basin, cabbage, carrots and garlic should be thoroughly mashed with salt.


This is always done with your hands, stirring and at the same time squeezing the shredded cabbage with force. The process should resemble kneading dough.


The softened cabbage should be transferred to a prepared container. In order for it to densely fill the entire volume, it is necessary to compact each new portion of cabbage with a puree masher or simply with your fist. All released juice should also be poured into a container. After this, use a long fork or knife to pierce the shredded cabbage in two or three places and place under pressure in a warm place.


The amount of juice in the container with sauerkraut will gradually increase. Therefore, you need to put a bowl under the container. Prick the cabbage twice a day with a fork to release carbon dioxide.


After 4 days, as a result of fermentation, the cabbage will acquire a characteristic taste. After this, you need to close it with a nylon lid and put it in the refrigerator.

Since what historical times has mankind been fermenting cabbage, I don’t know, but I assume that since ancient times, and in our country, apparently, since the introduction of this wonderful healthy vegetable crop rich in unique vitamin U into domestic gardening and vegetable growing. And who and where is not engaged in this useful work - from home to industrial production. And the product is still popular! As they say, for a feast and for the world and for good people: they don’t mind eating it and it’s inexpensive. Although the last statement has become obsolete in our time: look at the prices for sauerkraut on the market and in stores! And many housewives who monitor the family budget figures prefer to buy a head or two and make sauerkraut at home.

You can ferment white cabbage for future use throughout the winter, if there are conditions for proper storage, in special wooden barrels or in glass containers. You can also make small-sized preparations in three-liter glass jars under a screw with the calculation: you eat it, buy a new head of cabbage and ferment the next container of chopped cabbage. Stale cabbage has its own aromas and advantages, but there are also lovers of lightly salted cabbage, in the sense of fresh 3-4-day salting.

The value of such sourdough is that it preserves all its characteristic vitamins and minerals in the best possible form, plus it becomes a delicious cold appetizer that stimulates appetite and decorates the meal.

And although cabbage can be spoiled during pickling only by a lack of salt, some rules for this process cannot be superfluous. You can improve the taste of sauerkraut by adding your choice of bright sour berries (lingonberries and cranberries), beets and red peppers, caraway seeds and bay leaves.

Nutritional value of cabbage pickled for the winter at home

In sauerkraut, vitamin C (ascorbigen) is not only preserved for six months from the moment of fermentation, but is also stable even during heat treatment. Being in a bound form, it is not destroyed, turning into ascorbic acid.

• the most valuable thing in white cabbage is vitamin U (methylmethionine), thanks to which cabbage, when eaten, helps cure ulcers and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• The ability of sauerkraut to help with stress, remove toxins from the body, overcome infectious diseases in a complex of all medical measures and support the body’s immune strength has long been known;
• sauerkraut helps the metabolism of the whole body through the presence of vitamins B, K and PP; various minerals, especially potassium; amino acids and enzymes;
• The great advantage of sauerkraut is that those who want to lose weight and not gain weight recognize its low calorie content: 25 kilocalories per 100 grams of this product;
• The presence of a large amount of plant fiber in sauerkraut makes it an excellent cleanser of intestinal debris clogged with toxins and stagnant residues.

Sauerkraut for the winter at home - necessary products

The main preservatives that ensure long-term storage of home-sauerkraut under cool conditions are lactic acid, which is formed under the influence of natural lactic acid bacteria capable of converting the sugar present in cabbage into lactic acid, and the fermentation process itself with the release of alcohol and carbon dioxide must be supported by the introduction table salt, which prevents further rotting of the product.

Particular attention should be paid to the selection of high-quality and dense heads of ripe fresh cabbage of late white cabbage varieties, weighing at least 0.8 kilograms. Only those defects that can be easily remedied are allowed. The best, according to the general opinion of experts, are the mid-season varieties: Belorusskaya, Kashirka, Ladoga, Mozharskaya, Saburovka, Slava Gribovskaya, Slava Altai; late-ripening: Zavadovskaya, egg capsule, likurishka, late Moscow, Slavyanka.

Proven sauerkraut recipes

A classic recipe for cabbage, sauerkraut for the winter at home, with carrots

This is the most common recipe for pickling white cabbage, which, after removing the top leaves, is chopped using finely accessible methods: with a sharp knife on a cutting board, on a special shredding machine in the form of a board with three knives, on a grater, in a food processor, and so on. Washed and peeled fresh carrots are grated on the coarse side of a grater in the proportions that can be chosen as desired.

Ingredients for making sauerkraut according to the classic recipe:

• cabbage - 3 kilograms;
• carrots - 100 grams;
• table salt - 70 grams;
• granulated sugar - 5 tablespoons.

According to the classic recipe, pickle cabbage like this:

1. In a suitable container, mix chopped cabbage with grated carrots, add the amount of salt allowed according to the weight of chopped vegetables. If the cabbage is juicy, then just grind it with salt and sugar until it yields juice, and spread or place completely in a suitable glass, wooden or stainless steel container.
2. Compact the entire mass of chopped cabbage as much as possible, place a weight suitable for pressing on top, hoping that during the fermentation period, from the second and third days, the cabbage juice may overflow if the container is filled close to the edges. If the chopped cabbage is a bit dry and does not produce enough natural juice, you can add the required amount of water.
3. During the fermentation period, the container with cabbage should be in a warm place, covered with a gauze cloth on top, and when foam appears, it should be collected.
4. On the third or fourth day, you can taste the cabbage and prepare salads from it, although the fermentation process ends completely on the seventh day. If the volume of cabbage is large enough, then you can pierce its thickness in several places with a knitting needle or mix it and press it again under pressure. But in any case, sauerkraut should then be stored in a dry, dark and cool place to prevent loss of its nutritional, beneficial and attractive properties.

A rustic recipe for cabbage pickled for the winter at home with herbs and pumpkin

Incorporating the pumpkin, ripe and bright orange, into the shredded cabbage will add a sweet note, while the mint and tarragon will harmonize with the overall flavor of the entire fermented product.

Ingredients for making rustic sauerkraut:

• cabbage - 4 kilograms;
• pumpkin - 300 grams;
• salt - 130 grams;
• mint and tarragon - to taste.

According to the village recipe, prepare sauerkraut with herbs and pumpkin as follows:

1. Cut the peeled pumpkin into small slices into a separate bowl, sprinkle with sugar and let sit until the juice releases.
2. Chop the prepared cabbage, sprinkle with salt and rub with your hands. Chop the pre-washed greens finely and sprinkle the chopped cabbage with it, mix everything evenly.
3. Place the processed cabbage in a clean, suitable container, compacting it tightly. Cover the top layer with slices of juicy sweetened pumpkin, cover with oppression and a gauze napkin. The process of natural fermentation of cabbage mass should occur at warm room temperature.
4. Within a week, you should remove the foam that has accumulated on the surface of the container with cabbage, and at the end of it, store the finished pickled vegetable product in a cool, dark and dry place.

An elegant recipe for cabbage pickled for the winter at home with tomatoes, zucchini and sweet red peppers

The result is a very elegant cabbage with an original taste and aroma, but it is better to cook it periodically, as you eat it: if you eat it all, prepare a new portion.

Ingredients for preparing sauerkraut according to a folk recipe:

• sweet pepper - 1 kilogram;
• zucchini - according to preference;
• carrots - 5 medium roots;
• table salt - 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of brine;
• garlic, cilantro (coriander), hot pepper and parsley - to taste.

According to an elegant recipe, pickle white cabbage with tomatoes, zucchini and sweet peppers as follows:

1. Prepare and chop all the vegetables specified in the recipe as desired: cut the cabbage into 4 pieces and place in boiling water; pepper, without seeds, into 4 parts and also into boiling water; zucchini, tomatoes, ripe, dense, fleshy varieties, and carrots cut into slices; Peel the garlic and cut the cloves in half; coriander beans; Remove seeds from hot ripe peppers and cut with a knife. Chop the parsley with a knife.
2. Place all prepared vegetables in layers in a bowl indifferent to oxidation, alternating red and orange with layers of cabbage. There is no need to tamp too hard so as not to crush the tomatoes.
3. Place the vegetables in a container so that the brine rises during fermentation, and you can prepare it from clean drinking water (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water).

The conditions for fermenting such a vegetable salad are classic: a warm room, the fermentation process takes up to 7 days (you can try it earlier), and the elegant salad will become a routine appetizer on the table until it runs out. Store pickled cabbage salad in a cool, dark, dry place.

Onion recipe for cabbage sauerkraut for the winter at home

This method of preparing sauerkraut for future use is for those who like the additional smell of onions in many types of canned vegetables. The yield of fermented products according to this recipe is voluminous, because it takes 5 large heads of cabbage, approximately 20 kilograms of white cabbage. Any container can be used: from a wooden tub to three-liter glass containers.

Ingredients for making sauerkraut:

• white cabbage - 20 kilograms;
• onions - 1 kilogram;
• carrots - 600 grams;
• table salt - 500 grams;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pieces;
• sugar - 30 grams.

According to the onion recipe, prepare white sauerkraut at home as follows:

1. Cut peeled and washed fresh carrots into strips in advance. Finely chop the peeled onion with a knife.
2. Finely chop the prepared clean heads of cabbage and place in a container convenient for mixing. Sprinkle the entire mass of chopped cabbage with sugar, salt and ground black pepper, evenly distribute the carrots into strips and chopped onions - mix everything and rub with your hands until juicy.
3. Place the resulting mixture, compacting it, in a fairly deep container, apply pressure on top, cover with a clean cloth and leave alone for 3 days.
4. After these days, during which the container with the cabbage should be in a fairly warm place, pierce it repeatedly around the circumference with a wooden knitting needle to remove the mixture of resulting gases.
5. Squeeze all the cabbage with your hands to remove excess brine and place it again, compacting it tightly, in a container under pressure.

To store cabbage fermented according to the onion recipe, you need to choose a dry, dark and cool enough place so that it retains its impeccable taste for a long time.

It is necessary to note that the volume of cabbage sauerkraut according to the onion recipe can be proportionally set several times smaller: within 2-3 liters.

Honey-grape recipe for cabbage sauerkraut for the winter at home

This delicious recipe is especially for those who love something like this, although it is based on the classic recipe for pickling white cabbage. For those who are concerned about the end result of this event, we advise you to try it on a small percentage dose to see if you like this solution.

Ingredients for making sauerkraut according to the honey-grape recipe:

• white cabbage - 2 kilograms;
• fresh grapes - 1 kilogram;
• fresh carrots - 200 grams;
• natural honey - 100 grams;
• basil - 100 grams or as per preference;
• table salt - 15 grams per 1 liter of brine.

According to the grape-honey recipe, white cabbage is fermented at home for the winter as follows:

1. Chop the prepared heads of cabbage in the usual way - into strips.
2. Chop the peeled and washed fresh carrots into thin cubes. Cut the grape berries with scissors with short brushes and rinse under running water through a colander - let the water drain.
3. Everything is chopped, a container is prepared for mixing cabbage with carrots and liquid honey - mix everything evenly.
4. Place several grape berries on the bottom of the prepared container, followed by a layer of cabbage mixture, a layer of basil leaves - and so on, spread the grape berries and basil evenly, carefully compacting the entire mass so that the berries remain intact.
5. Compact the entire mass of cabbage under pressure, pour in steep salted boiling water and leave to ferment in the usual way for 1-3 days. Honey and grapes will not only add a sweet and sour note, but will also speed up fermentation. For this reason, within a day you can taste the taste of grape-honey cabbage.

In the original version of this recipe, it is suggested to dissolve honey in boiling brine, but given that during heat treatment it loses its best and beneficial qualities, I do not do this. Store this cabbage under the usual conditions for open preservation of pickled vegetables - in a dry, cool and dark place under a soft lid.

Apple recipe for cabbage sauerkraut for the winter at home

A very interesting recipe that combines two deliciously combined products in fermented form. There is cumin in the recipe, but if someone doesn’t like it, then just exclude the cumin.

Ingredients for making apple sauerkraut:

• white cabbage - 10 kilograms;
• sweet and sour apples - 1 kilogram;
• dry dill and caraway seeds - according to preference;
• table salt - 250-300 grams.

According to the apple recipe, prepare sauerkraut for the winter at home as follows:

1. Chop the prepared white cabbage in the usual way and rub it with salt with your hands to release juice faster.
2. Wash the apples, dry them, peel them, remove the core and cut them into slices.
3. Place in a fermentation container in layers: cabbage - apples - cabbage - and so on to the top, sprinkling with dill and caraway seeds along the way.
4. Finish laying the cabbage with apples by applying oppression with a load. Leave it to ferment in a warm place for several days, periodically removing the foam and piercing it with a wooden pointed needle to the bottom to help the gases generated during fermentation evaporate.

If it is not possible to store the cabbage in a large container in a cool, suitable place, then after fermentation is complete, the cabbage can be divided into smaller containers and stored in such a convenient form in the refrigerator.

The shades of taste and aroma of sauerkraut depend on the additives in the following ratio of products: 1 - savoy cabbage - 10 kilograms; ripe viburnum berries - 1 kilogram; dill seeds - 200 grams; table salt - 200 grams. 2 - head of cabbage - 1 piece; fresh grated horseradish - according to preference; fresh garlic - 2-3 cloves; fresh carrots - 1 root; table salt - 1 tablespoon; granulated sugar - 1 tablespoon. 3 - beet marinade: cabbage - 2 kilograms; fresh garlic - 1 head; sweet pepper - 1 pod. Marinade: drinking water - 1 liter; beet juice - from 1 root vegetable; vegetable oil - 0.5 cups; table salt - 2 tablespoons; granulated sugar - 3 tablespoons; table vinegar 9% - 1 teaspoon. Bring everything except the beetroot juice to a boil, remove from heat, pour in the beetroot juice and pour in the shredded cabbage, tightly packed in a suitable container. This cabbage will acquire a very beautiful beet color and ferment without foam, thanks to the presence of vinegar in the brine. In a couple of days you can already try it.

The basic rules for preparing and the process of fermenting cabbage for the winter at home are almost the same for all recipes: chop the cabbage and vegetables, add additives, grind with salt or pour in brine, put pressure and weight into a container with cabbage and let it ferment in a warm room, periodically removing the foam.

Sauerkraut contains many vitamins and minerals. It is to preserve the beneficial substances of a fresh vegetable that it is recommended to ferment it. Unlike heat treatment, fermentation ensures complete preservation of beneficial elements for the body. The article provides several ways to ferment cabbage. Each sauerkraut recipe presented below is quite simple to prepare.

Sauerkraut: benefits and harms

In terms of the amount of useful substances in its composition, it is a leader among most vegetables and fruits.

Pickled vegetables contain vitamins:

• ascorbic acid (vitamin C) stimulates the body’s protective functions, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, promotes rapid healing of wounds and cuts;
• retinol (vitamin A) is needed for the formation and strength of the skeletal system, maintains hair, skin, and nails in a healthy condition; · phylloquinone (vitamin K);
• group of B vitamins is involved in intercellular metabolism;
• Methylmethionine (vitamin U) has a lipotropic effect, protects hepatocytes, stimulates rapid healing of early erosions and other damage.
• Microelements: sodium, copper, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sulfur, iodine and others.

What vitamins are contained in sauerkraut - the table below:

Sauerkraut helps the body slow down the aging process of the skin, helps strengthen the immune system, and also has a beneficial effect on the endocrine system. The digestive organs (if there are no health contraindications) will also be grateful to you for eating such a wonderful dish. It even helps in the prevention of tumor diseases and do not forget that sauerkraut helps reduce the likelihood of fat accumulation in the body.

Microelements contained in sauerkraut - table:

Sauerkraut contains a low amount of calories: 25 kcal per 100 grams. Its use is recommended for dietary purposes.

But there are also contraindications to the use of sauerkraut, which means it can cause harm in case of: kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases. Do not use if there is a high level of acid in the stomach, high blood pressure, or an ulcer.

How to ferment cabbage at home: pickling rules

To prepare delicious, crispy cabbage, you must follow the following rules:

1. It is recommended to use containers made of natural materials, such as clay, wood. And also containers made of glass and plastic. Aluminum and iron utensils will not work. For long-term storage, a regular glass jar is recommended.
2. Before the fermentation procedure, it is necessary to ventilate the kitchen area so that harmful microorganisms do not enter the dish.
3. Only ordinary table salt (without iodine in the composition), medium or large in size, is suitable.
4. Remove the top leaves from the heads of cabbage so as not to wash the head of cabbage with water.
5. For prevention, it is recommended to lubricate the cooking container with honey and vinegar.
6. While stirring, pay attention to evenly distributing the salt. Physical effort will be required when decomposing the fermented vegetable into storage containers and then compacting it.
7. The larger the cabbage is chopped, the more vitamins it contains.
8. The workpiece should not be stored at too low temperatures.
9. Every day it is worth piercing the workpiece to the very bottom of the container. This allows the accumulated gases to escape from the mass. This is important: otherwise, the dish will be bitter.
10. Every day it is necessary to remove foam from the surface of the snack.

The fermentation period lasts from 3 to 5 days. Upon completion, the workpiece should be removed from the warm room. The most suitable temperature for subsequent storage is -1C to +2C.

Following the above rules on how to ferment cabbage, a crispy preparation recipe can delight you with a juicy, summery taste in the winter. This is the right choice, since pickled vegetables are not only tasty, they are also healthy.

Video of grandma's pickling recipe:

Classic recipe for crispy sauerkraut

Crispy sauerkraut, the classic recipe for which is given below, is doubly delicious.

Required:

• cabbage heads - 10 kg;
• coarse salt – 200 grams;
• half a kilo of carrots.

Step-by-step instructions: how to ferment crispy cabbage for the winter

1. Remove the top leaves and stalks. Divide the head of cabbage into four equal parts.
2. Cut the resulting quarters across the growth.
3. Finely grate the peeled carrots.
4. Place the cabbage on the work surface of the table, sprinkling carrots and salt on top. They should be distributed evenly throughout the mass.
5. Place the shredded product in a 12-liter bucket and compact well with each subsequent layer.
6. Cover with a flat dish or lid and place a heavy object on top.
7. Leave the vegetable in this form for 5 days, in a warm place. The fermentation process should begin. Usually, fermentation begins quickly; already on the 3-4th day you can observe cloudiness of the juice. This means that gas bubbles are released. To avoid a bitter aftertaste, take the workpiece out onto the balcony, let it “breathe”, and carefully pierce it with a long stick. This way fermentation will reach the very bottom layer.

After a week, sauerkraut can be safely stored in a cool place. In such conditions it can easily be stored for a whole year.

Video classic recipe for sauerkraut for the winter:

How to ferment crispy cabbage in a jar

Crispy sourdough recipes can be safely used even by novice housewives. This is the simplest homemade version of pickling. Cabbage prepared in this way has a juicy, slightly sour taste.

For this you will need:
· cabbage heads – 16 kg;
· kilogram of carrots.

Brine:
· 10 liters of water,
· kilogram of salt.

Photo of sauerkraut in a jar:

Cooking method:

1. Make a brine: dissolve salt in boiled water.
2. Finely chop the remaining ingredients. Mix in one container.
3. Having divided the resulting mass into parts, you should alternately dip each into freshly prepared brine for 5 minutes.
4. Afterwards, squeeze out the mass and place it in the prepared container.
5. Divide the resulting mixture into glass jars, compacting tightly. Be sure to close the containers with lids. Let it brew for a day.
6. On the second day, move the workpieces to a cool place.

Instant sauerkraut is crispy and delicious

Below is a quick express recipe for sourdough. The product prepared using it will definitely crunch.

Ingredients:

• a couple of kilograms of cabbage;
• a couple of carrots;
• 250 grams of cranberries, grapes;
• 5 apples.

For the brine you will need:

• 1 liter of water;
• sugar, vegetable oil - glass;
• 3/4 cup vinegar;
• salt - 2 tablespoons;
• garlic - 1 head.

Cooking steps:

1. The first step is to prepare the brine as usual. To do this, combine all the ingredients for the brine. Boil the mixture for up to three minutes.
2. Chop the cabbage, grate the carrots.
3. Place the vegetable mass in a container in the following order: cabbage, carrots, cranberries, apples, grapes. Repeat until the container is full;
4. Pour the mixture with brine, compact it and cover with a lid. Place a load on top. After a couple of days, the cabbage is ready to eat. This recipe is quick and tasty to prepare, and the quality is no lower than in more labor-intensive recipes.

Video of a simple pickling recipe:

How to choose the right cabbage for sourdough

To make cabbage tasty, crispy, and healthy, you need to know how to choose it correctly. Suitable varieties for pickling: “Zimovka”, “Belorusskaya”, “Slava”, “Yuzhanka”.

If there is no information about the cabbage variety, you can choose simply by appearance.

Cabbage suitable for fermentation has the following characteristics:

• Dense, elastic head of cabbage. This can be easily checked by taking the forks of your hand and squeezing a little on both sides.
• Solid surface, no cracks.
• Fresh smell.
• The length of the stalk is from 2 cm. If there is a cut, it should be white.
• The absence of green leaves on the cabbage indicates that the top leaves have already been cut off.
• The size of the head of cabbage is from 3 to 5 kg.
• The head of cabbage should be quite dense.

Attention! There are cabbage varieties whose fruits have a flattened shape. This is not a defect.

Using the above tips on how to properly ferment cabbage, you can get delicious preparations for the cold season. This is a good option to complement main dishes. With such snacks, winter will pass unnoticed and you will be able to get tasty and natural vitamins to your table all winter.

Video recipe on how to cook sauerkraut:

Sauerkraut is perhaps the simplest recipe for preserving this healthy vegetable. When cooking cabbage, almost half of such a useful vitamin as B9 (folic acid) is destroyed in it, but during pickling, all the vitamins remain intact and are even added! The amount of vitamin C, for example, increases significantly, reaching 70 mg per 100 g, and vitamin P in sauerkraut is 20 times more than in fresh cabbage. Due to lactic acid fermentation, a large number of probiotics are formed in cabbage, which equates sauerkraut to kefir. Moreover, there is no kefir alcohol in sauerkraut. The brine from sauerkraut is also useful - it contains substances that prevent carbohydrates from turning into fat, and therefore it is excellent for the prevention of gastritis with high acidity and becomes simply an indispensable assistant for losing weight.

In general, it has been decided - we are preparing preparations for the winter from cabbage. Let's pickle the cabbage! As in any business, pickling has its own rules and subtleties.

Cabbage for pickling should be late and mid-late varieties. Early cabbage is not suitable, since it has loose heads and leaves that are strongly colored green; in addition, they are poorer in sugar, so the fermentation process is much worse.
. If you decide to ferment cabbage with carrots, then you need to take carrots in the amount of 3% of the weight of the cabbage (300 g of carrots per 10 kg of cabbage).
. For fermentation, use regular coarse salt, not iodized!
. The amount of salt is 2-2.5% of the weight of cabbage (200-250 g of salt per 10 kg of cabbage).
. For greater benefits, you can use coarse sea salt, but also not iodized.
. For sauerkraut, you can use a variety of additives: apples, lingonberries, cranberries, caraway seeds, beets, bay leaves. These additives are added to taste.
And now about technology. In fact, there is nothing complicated in sauerkraut, but if you skip or ignore at least one step, then all your efforts can go to waste. Let's get started.
. Before fermentation, the heads of cabbage are cleaned - dirty and green leaves are removed, rotten and frozen parts are removed, and the stalk is cut off.
. Cabbage can be chopped, or you can ferment whole heads of cabbage (however, in a city apartment this is hardly possible).
. The carrots are peeled and chopped (you can grate them on a regular grater or on a Korean carrot grater).

Shredded cabbage and carrots are poured onto the table, sprinkled with salt and actively rubbed with hands, adding the necessary additives, until the cabbage releases juice.
. Prepare the container: place it on the bottom of a barrel or large enameled pan cabbage leaves.
. Place the cabbage in a container. To do this, spread the cabbage in a layer of 10-15 cm and compact it tightly. Next, add a layer of cabbage again and compact it again, and so on until the end.
. If you are fermenting cabbage in a large container, place a small whole head of cabbage inside the cabbage mass. In winter you will have very tasty cabbage rolls made from sauerkraut leaves.
. Lay cabbage leaves on top, place a clean cloth, a circle and a bend.
. If everything is done correctly, then within a day a brine should appear on the surface.
. The best temperature for fermentation is room temperature.
. The first sign of proper fermentation is bubbles and foam on the surface of the brine. Foam should be removed.
. And now - the most important step, if you skip it, you can ruin your cabbage. To get rid of gases with an unpleasant odor, the cabbage should be pierced with a wooden stick in several places to the very bottom. This should be done every 1-2 days.
. After the cabbage has settled, the load must be removed, the top leaves and the layer of browned cabbage must be removed. The circle should be washed with a hot soda solution, a napkin wash in water and then in saline solution. Wring out the napkin and cover the surface of the cabbage, place a circle and a lighter weight. The amount of pressure should be such that the brine comes out to the edge of the circle.
. If the brine does not appear, then you need to increase the pressure or add brine.
. Sauerkraut should be stored at a temperature of 0 - 5ºC.
. Properly fermented cabbage has an amber-yellow color, a pleasant smell and a sour taste.

Here are some sauerkraut recipes.

Sauerkraut with apples:
10 kg cabbage,
300 g carrots,
500 g apples,
250 g salt.

Sauerkraut for the winter with lingonberries (cranberries):
10 kg cabbage,
300 g carrots,
200 g lingonberries (cranberries),
250 g salt.
Sauerkraut with caraway seeds:
10 kg cabbage,
500 g carrots,
2 tsp cumin seeds,
250 g salt.

Sauerkraut with bay leaf:
10 kg cabbage,
500 g carrots,
2 tsp cumin,
¼ tsp. coriander seeds,
10 peas of allspice,
800 g apples (slices),
100 g salt.

Ingredients:
10 kg cabbage,
300-500 g carrots,
10 apples,
200 g salt,
3 tbsp. Sahara.

Preparation:
Prepare food: peel cabbage, remove damaged leaves, remove stalks, chop, peel and grate carrots, cut apples into slices and remove seed pods. Grind the cabbage with salt, add carrots and sugar (if desired, you can increase the amount of sugar to ½ cup). Scald wide-necked jars with boiling water and line the bottom with cabbage leaves. Place a layer of cabbage in a jar, tamp it down so that the cabbage releases its juice, then place a layer of apples, cabbage again, etc. Fill the jar, cover with leaves, put in a clean napkin and a small saucer. Put a narrow jar filled with water on it - this will be our oppression. Leave the jars of cabbage at room temperature, remembering to pierce them with a wooden stick to the very bottom so that the gas escapes. Once fermentation is complete, remove the cabbage to the cold.

Sauerkraut in jars in an original way

Ingredients:
15-16 kg of cabbage,
1 kg carrots.
Brine:
10 liters of water,
1 kg salt.

Preparation:
Prepare brine by dissolving salt in hot boiled water. Chop the cabbage and grate the carrots. Mix cabbage and carrots without grinding. Dip the mixture in parts into the cooled brine and keep in it for 5 minutes. After this, remove the cabbage from the brine, squeeze and transfer to another bowl. “Wash” all the cabbage in this way. Then place the cabbage in jars, compacting them, cover with plastic lids and leave overnight at room temperature. The next day, take it out into the cold. If there is not enough brine in the jars, then it should be added.

Quick sauerkraut

Ingredients:
2 kg cabbage,
2 pcs. carrots,
250 g cranberries,
200 g grapes,
3-5 apples.
Brine:
1 liter of water,
1 glass of vegetable oil,
1 cup of sugar,
¾ cup vinegar
2 tbsp. salt,
1 head of garlic.

Preparation:
Prepare the brine - mix all ingredients, chopped garlic, bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Chop the cabbage, grate the carrots. Place cabbage, carrots, grapes, cranberries, apples, cabbage again, etc. in layers in a container. Pour brine over the cabbage and apply pressure. In 2 days the cabbage will be ready.

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:
2-2.5 kg cabbage,
3 tbsp. salt,
3-5 black peppercorns,
3-5 peas of allspice,
4-5 tbsp. Sahara,
2-3 buds of cloves,
1-2 tbsp. grated horseradish
garlic, ground black pepper - to taste,
1 medium-sized beet.

Preparation:
Place peppercorns, cloves, and grated horseradish on the bottom of wide-necked jars. Place coarsely chopped cabbage and thinly sliced ​​beets into a jar, adding salt and sugar, and adding garlic and ground pepper. Compact each layer with a masher. Place the jars in a warm place for 3 days. Place plates under the jars, as liquid may leak out during fermentation. Don't forget to pierce the contents with a wooden stick. Once fermentation is complete, remove the cabbage to the cold.

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage,
1-2 beets,
2 pcs. carrots,
3 pcs. sweet pepper,
4 cloves of garlic,
10-15 black peppercorns,
bunch of dill,
1 tbsp. Sahara,
1 tbsp. citric acid,
salt - a little more to taste.

Preparation:
Cut the head of cabbage into 8-12 radial pieces, cut the beets and carrots into thin slices, chop the pepper into strips, chop the garlic and dill. Place in a container in layers, sprinkling with salt and sugar. Boil enough water, pour citric acid into the cabbage and pour boiling water so that the water covers the cabbage. Cover with a clean napkin and press down. Cabbage is ready in 3-4 days.

Spicy sauerkraut with beets

Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage,
2 beets,
2 heads of garlic,
1 pod of hot pepper,
2-3 parsley roots,
2-3 horseradish roots,
salt to taste.

Preparation:
Cut the head of cabbage into 8 pieces. Grate the beets, chop the garlic, chop the parsley and horseradish roots, finely chop the hot pepper. Place the cabbage in a container, sprinkle with chopped vegetables and salt, add hot boiled water and place in a bowl where excess brine will be poured. Leave in a warm place for three days, piercing with a wooden stick. Once fermentation is complete, place in the cold.

Ingredients:
10 kg cabbage,
3-4 beets,
300-600 g hot pepper,
600-1000 g celery greens,
10-15 bay leaves,
60-120 g parsley.

Preparation:
Cut the cabbage heads into 6-8 pieces, place in a container, topped with beet slices, coarsely chopped herbs and pepper. Pour hot brine (500-700 g of salt per 10 liters of water). Leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. Then take it out into the cold.

Quick pickling of cabbage for the winter

Ingredients:
10 kg cabbage,
200-250 g salt.

Preparation:
Mix shredded cabbage with salt, pack tightly into 3-liter jars and fill with cold boiled water. Leave at room temperature for 3 days. Sometimes pierce the cabbage with a stick. After 3 days, drain the water, dissolve sugar in it at the rate of 1 glass of sugar per jar, pour over the cabbage again and put in the refrigerator.

Spicy sauerkraut

Ingredients:
8 kg cabbage,
100 g garlic,
100 g horseradish root,
100 g parsley,
300 g beets,
1 pod of hot pepper,
4 liters of water,
200 g salt,
200 g sugar.

Preparation:
Cut the cabbage into large slices, mix it with grated horseradish, finely chopped garlic, beet cubes, finely chopped parsley and hot pepper. Prepare the brine - boil water, add salt, sugar, boil, cool. Pour brine over the cabbage, put pressure on it, keep it warm for two days, then take it out into the cold.

Chop cabbage, carrots, beets (you can do without them), add bay leaves, cumin seeds, salt to taste, mix everything. Place ¼ loaf of rye bread at the bottom of the container and add chopped vegetables. Prick several times with a wooden stick. After 3 days, put it in the cold.

And finally - a recipe for sauerkraut without salt according to the recipe of V. Zeland (author of the book “Living Kitchen”). This recipe has been converted by the author from Bragg's basic sauerkraut recipe. It’s interesting that green cabbage is also suitable for pickling.

Sauerkraut without salt (raw food recipe)

Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage,
700-800 g carrots,
½ tsp. ground hot pepper (cayenne, chili),
60 g dry ground paprika.

Preparation:
Coarsely chop the cabbage, discard the rough stems, and also chop the stalk. Cut the carrots into slices. Mix in a bowl with seasonings, but do not mash. Place a cabbage leaf at the bottom of two three-liter jars, fill the jars tightly with cabbage, tamping with a wooden masher so that there is 10 cm left to the neck, close the top with cabbage leaves. Pour clean drinking or distilled water over the cabbage to cover the leaves. Place plastic bottles filled with water in jars as weights. The weight should be strong enough so that the water covers the top leaves of the cabbage. Leave in a warm place. After some time, the water in the jars will begin to rise. If it starts to overflow, it is better to remove or reduce the load. Every few hours, press down on the cabbage to release excess carbon dioxide. After 2 days, put the cabbage in the refrigerator. Where she should stay for another week. Make sure that the water always covers the leaves.

Choose and prepare cabbage in any way - sauerkraut will only benefit you in any case. Be sure to check out our step-by-step recipes for winter preparations. Happy preparations!

Larisa Shuftaykina